first, raise the debt ceiling, allowing america to pay for its bills that it already racked up. then come up with a longer term plan that could put us back in fiscal good health. america's ability to meet its obligations should not be held hostage to an agreement on spending cuts. >>> retail sales went up by half a percentage in december. cars saw the biggest gain, jumping 1.8% at dealerships. other stores that see sales go up during the holiday season, like clothing and electronics, barely saw gains. while sales are expected to increase in 2013, it is slow going for now. for one thing, americans are getting a little less in their paycheck, now that the payroll tax holiday has ended. and a little less money means a little less shopping for now. >>> dude, did you hear about dell? shares of the computermaker jumped 15% in the last two days after a bloomberg report said that it is in buyout talks with a couple of private equity firms. the company founded in ceo michael dell's dorm room in texas in the '80s has been struggling lately as pc sales drop off. going private would allow d